🇬🇷Greece · Places to discover
What to see in Santorin?
23 places selected by the community - landmarks, nature, hidden restaurants and activities.
Santorin is a volcanic caldera, not an ordinary island. What the postcard won't tell you is that perched villages like Oia and Fira are built on the walls of a crater that collapsed 3,600 years ago. This brutal geology explains everything: the black cliffs, the ash beaches and that particular light that falls differently at different times of day.
Choose September or October to avoid the human saturation of July–August, when Oia's streets become impassable at sunset. Three days are enough to get round without rushing. Hire a quad or car; buses are slow and overcrowded. Skip restaurants with prime caldera views-you're paying double the price for ordinary food just for the outlook.
Landmarks & heritage
3 places
- 1
Landmark
Landmark
Faros Lighthouse, Akrotiri
A 19th-century neoclassical lighthouse at the south-western tip of the island, facing the volcano. An almost deserted spot even in high season, ideal for watching sunsets without the crowds of Oia.
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Landmark
Landmark
Ancient Thira
Hellenistic city perched at 369m on Mesa Vouno, accessible on foot from Kamari or Perissa. Panoramic view over both coasts of the island and perfectly preserved Doric ruins, without crowds.
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Landmark
Landmark
Akrotiri Archaeological Site
Minoan city buried beneath volcanic ash around 1600 BC, often called the 'Pompeii of the Aegean'. The frescoes and ruins preserved under a modern roof are of museum-quality rarity.
Museums
1 place
4Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0Museum
Prehistoric Museum of Thera, Fira
National museum housing the finest frescoes from Akrotiri and exquisitely crafted Minoan objects. Less crowded than the archaeological site itself, it allows for a deeper understanding of Cycladic civilisation.
Religious sites
2 places
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Religious site
Religious site
Ypapanti Orthodox Cathedral, Fira
Fira's metropolitan cathedral, dominating the caldera from its promontory. The richly decorated interior features Byzantine frescoes and is often overlooked by tourists who simply pass along the main street.
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Religious site
Religious site
Agios Minas Orthodox Church, Exo Gonia
Small whitewashed church nestled in the vineyards between Pyrgos and Kamari, far from tourist circuits. One of the most photographed on the island by those in the know, with its blue dome and authentic bucolic setting.
Castles & fortresses
2 places
7Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0Castle
Venetian Castle of Skaros, Imerovigli
Spectacular volcanic outcrop overlooking the caldera from Imerovigli, remnant of a 13th-century Venetian castle. The ridge hike offers vertiginous views over the strait and neighbouring islands.
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Castle
Castle
Kasteli Castle
Fortified medieval village perched on the hilltop at the centre of Santorini, with its concentric alleyways typical of Cycladic defensive architecture. The island's highest inhabited point offers 360° views over the caldera.
Nature
2 places
9Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Nature
Nea Kameni Island (Active Volcano)
Volcanic island born from successive eruptions since antiquity, at the centre of the caldera. The hike to the smoking crater and bathing in sulphurous hot springs constitute a unique geological experience in the Mediterranean.
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Nature
Nature
Pumice Cliffs of Fira
Volcanic tuff and pumice cliffs that plunge 300m into the caldera from Fira are geologically unique in the world. The footpath along the rim offers viewing angles impossible to reach elsewhere.
Viewpoints
2 places
11Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0Viewpoint
Nea Kameni Island (Active Volcano)
Volcanic island formed by successive eruptions since antiquity, lying at the centre of the caldera. The hike to the smoking crater and bathing in the warm sulphurous hot springs constitute a unique geological experience in the Mediterranean.
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Viewpoint
Viewpoint
Santorini Caldera from the Fira-Oia Trail
Coastal hiking trail of 10km connecting Fira to Oia along the caldera rim. The view of the submerged crater, pumice cliffs and whitewashed villages clinging to the rock is among the most striking in the Mediterranean.
Activities
4 places
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Activity
Activity
Pyrgos – Profitis Ilias Hike
3km trail from Pyrgos to the island's highest point (565m), with its 18th-century Byzantine monastery. 360° views across the entire island and on clear days as far as Crete – popular with locals on Sunday mornings.
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Activity
Activity
Scuba Diving at Nea Kameni
The depths around the submerged volcano reveal lava formations, gas bubbles and dense Mediterranean fauna. Several local diving centres offer guided dives in this unique geologically active zone.
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Activity
Activity
Santo Wines Estate, Pyrgos
Historic wine cooperative perched on the heights of Pyrgos with a panoramic terrace overlooking the caldera. The dry white Assyrtiko and Vinsanto (dessert wine from sun-dried grapes) are produced here using ancestral methods.
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Activity
Activity
Sigalas Estate, Oia
One of the finest producers of Santorini Assyrtiko, a unique volcanic grape variety. Wine tasting directly in the terraced vineyards with views over the caldera – a place locals recommend in hushed tones.
Beaches
3 places
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Beach
Beach
Perivolos Beach
Extension of Perissa beach towards the south, with black volcanic sand and calmer waters. Less crowded than Perissa, with a few authentic fish tavernas along the shoreline.
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Beach
Beach
Red Beach (Kokkini Paralia)
Beach nestled in cliffs of blood-red iron oxide, accessible only on foot from Akrotiri. The contrast between the red rock, dark sand and turquoise sea is spectacular – arrive early in the morning.
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Beach
Beach
Vlychada Beach
Beach to the south of the island bordered by cliffs of volcanic ash with lunar-like forms sculpted by erosion. Less crowded than Perissa or Kamari, with an authentic fishing harbour at one end.
More to discover
4 places
20Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Place
Village of Vothonas
Troglodyte village carved into volcanic rock, one of the least known on the island. The cave-houses (hyposkafa) carved into pumice are a unique vernacular architecture, today partly converted into accommodation.
21Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0Place
Ammoudi Bay Harbour
Small natural harbour at the foot of Oia's cliffs, accessible via 214 steps carved into volcanic rock. Locals swim from the rocks here, fishing boats unload their catch – a pre-mass-tourism Santorini.
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Place
Place
Fira Market (Agora)
Fira's local market, away from the main shopping street, where island producers sell dried cherry tomatoes, capers, fava and Vinsanto. The best place to take home authentic local products.
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Place
Place
Megalochori Village
Agricultural village in the south-central area, preserved from tourist pressure, with wine caves carved into volcanic rock (canava) and a shaded central square. Intact Cycladic architecture and the atmosphere of an ordinary Greek village.
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